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National Sewing Month: 3 Strands

September is National
Sewing Month, Made for Freedom is celebrating it by highlighting our partners
this month. This week our final blog for National Sewing Month we are featuring
3 Strands.

In Cambodia women are making bracelets, cotton
bags and more every day thanks to 3 Strands. In February 2011, Ken and Kris CEO of Apricot
Lane met with Don and Bridget Brewster of Agape International Missions. They
discussed the growing need for these women and how they could help. Agape
International Missions has always had a goal, to help create a trafficking free
world. 3 Strands was then created with four missions in mind: prevent children from sex trafficking, rescue victims, restore victims and equip them to be able to reintegrate back into society.

For
Ken Peterson this was very close to his heart. Working with these women helped
him and his wife in their decision to adopt. Ken says,"it has been amazing and has expanded their hearts more for these women." 3 Strands workers are provided with
a fair wage more than three times the going rate. They have health insurance and
work only Monday through Friday. Every bracelet made by these women is a step
closer in helping create the trafficking free world. Each bracelet is handmade and has each women`s own signature in the design. The growth of 3 Strands has
been amazing, but Ken of Apricot Lane says, "Money really is not the goal here." For these women, where they live, society considers them garbage and to be
thrown away. 3 Strands is wanting these women to feel their self-worth and
to have a dignified employment. The factory the women work at is a safe work
environment, free of predators and sweatshop conditions.

Ken and Don spoke to
CNN showing how these girls find strength and dignity in what they are doing and how it empowers them. They also recently built and opened housing for these
girls. For most, it is the first time they have indoor working plumbing and a
safe place to sleep. Seeing the girls so happy and they burst into song
and dance when moving in. Ken at the sight of this broke down in tears. I know Ken
and us here at Made for Freedom agree, we want that for all the victims. 3
Strands is consistently looking into how to grow more to help save more victims,
partnering with other stores such as ourselves and creating awareness. The
ultimate thing is at the end of the day, we are all human, but human trafficking
is inhuman.